A Reddit user recently showed off their incredible haul on r/DumpsterDiving, and it's hard not to be surprised.
The post-holiday haul included a wide range of goods still in their original packaging. Fleece-lined Timberland leggings, a bamboo detangling brush, Hello Kitty-branded skin care strips, and a Laura Geller bronzer palette were just some of the finds. These goods were found in the trash of a TJ Maxx store a few days after Christmas.
Dumpster diving might have a bad reputation, but there are big merits to the practice. In addition to getting a good deal on useful items and maybe even making a few bucks on the secondary market, dumpster diving also reduces the amount of trash going to landfills.
By reducing waste through reuse, we reduce the need to spend energy and virgin resources on new production. By recovering food, it's also possible to prevent significant methane pollution that occurs during decomposition. Best-before dates are typically just suggestions and often don't denote a food or item that is actually beyond use.
Legality can be specific to your region, but we have a rundown of everything you need to know about dumpster diving. If you're interested in supporting the circular economy, there is also a guide on thrifting, which can help you save money and the environment minus the mess of a dumpster.
While this dumpster haul was a win for whoever found it, it's infuriating that companies toss out perfectly good items. We've seen similar wastefulness from pet stores and offices. Redditors were quick to pile on in outrage.
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"Super annoying that corporations do all this instead of donating them," one user said.
The original poster replied, "That was my first thought, so many people rn are in desperate need of some of these things."
"I hate how stores waste these things when they could donate them," someone else wrote.
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